Striking Steel
by YellowFlash67
Summary: Five year old Naruto has become blind under mysterious circumstances. With the odds staked against him, can Naruto overcome his handicap and get his ramen at the end of the day? Or will he drown himself in despair and die trying?
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Naruto**.

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><p>…<p>

"Why? What did I do wrong?"

Five year old Naruto was leaning against a bed, in Konoha's hospital. His heart was running a marathon, his legs felt like they were weighed with elephants, and his head felt like it was being smashed in with a bat repeatedly.

The nurses were murmuring behind him again too. He curled into himself tighter than possible as one of them gently rubbed his back with medicine. He would not talk to any of them, despite their best efforts. Physically speaking, he was in good health. Mentally speaking...was a different story.

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><p><strong>Flashback…<strong>

_'Run…run…run…do not…stop...must keep going!_' _Naruto thought_.

_His feet were carrying him faster than normal, but it still was not fast enough. It was never fast enough. The villagers around him stepped aside, the disdain clear on their faces. Tears were arrived at the brink of his eyes, but he pushed them back. He was not running fast enough anymore. The ANBU assigned to watch over him, was having a hard time keeping up with him though._

_Stopping next to a stream, the young boy stared at his reflection in the mirror.__'Demon…monster…outcast…is that what I am?' he thought._

_His baby blue eyes stared back at him as if waiting for an answer. The villagers did not attack him physically. They were the more stay-away-from-the-demon-and-lets-hope-he-dies type of people. Sure, they would openly glare at him, and kick him out of the stores more often than not, but that was his life. He had come to accept it as such._

_The old man visited him in the orphanage sometimes, and especially on his birthday, but it did not help much sometimes. He did not want to burden the man with his troubles. Sometimes the old man stopped by to make sure he ate his vegetables and drank his milk. And, of course he would not. The milk was from the devil._

_" If you want to be strong like me someday Naruto-kun you have to drink your milk." The old man would tell him._

_In addition, Naruto would happily reply, "Oij-san that would never happen. The day I drink that cursed milk, is the day I die."_

_The Hokage knew it was better to leave it at that. Naruto was stubborn and when he did not want to do something, he avoided it all costs._

_Naruto's shoulders heaved for a moment. To the random bystander, it would like he was laughing, but that was far from the case. Those tears were reaching the breaking point, so Naruto shook all the bad thoughts away from a moment, getting a grip on reality again as he took a seat on the rocks. _

_The Hokage monument is-no was his safe haven. The striking sunset and sunrise were welcomed with open arms. There were no glares, but only him and the animals. As much as he hated to say it, he got along better with the animals than with the people of the village. With a few expectations of course. He was walking through the forest later that night when something "attacked" him in the face. He did not see it coming but he could feel it. _

_He could not see it, but he could feel it._

_Letting out a groan, a fur ball smacked its tail against his bruised cheek running off in a different direction. He considered going after it, but he was not in the mood really to hunt that fur ball down._

_Suddenly, a gasp escaped from his throat. His eyes clenched shut, and his breath started coming out in pants. Gripping his chest, he collapsed against the forest floor._

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><p><strong>End Flashback…-Present time-<strong>

His back was still stiff from the forest floor. The nurses had left the room while he was sleeping, but there was one guest still there.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Oij-san?" What was that old man doing here? The old man chuckled silently, and Naruto felt his ears get hot. He turned away from that voice and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I heard you were in the hospital, and I decided to take a break and visit you." Naruto relaxed at his words. Turning to face him, his eyes were still closed.

"Thank you." The Hokage frowned at this.

"Thank you?" This puzzled the Old Hokage. "For What Naruto-kun?"

"For caring for me."

Startling the young boy, the Sandamine, pressed the boy against his chest. Despite the comforting gesture, it was lost on Naruto. Laying his head against the man, Sarutobi rocked him to sleep, humming a small tune as the blond closed his eyes. A tiny fist gripped the Hokage's robe with a surprisingly strong grip and nestled further into the warmth. Sarutobi smiled at the sleeping blonde, placing him on the cot again.

The nurses aroused him gently a few hours later, to do the routine check-up. He watched the nurses examine the boy carefully, as if he was fragile as a glass bowl. One of the nurses gasped softly in her hands, the other nurses curious about her weird behavior.

Sarutobi sucked in a deep breath as he walked over to the young boy. He almost dropped his pipe, but caught it before it hit the ground. Instead of Naruto's baby blue eyes, he saw that they were replaced with a much lighter sky blue in their place. Sarutobi blinked as Naruto shifted away from him.

_'The boy must have known about this_.' He thought.

Why? Why didn't he tell anyone about it? Was he afraid? And if so... whom? That fox. Could that bastard of a fox changed Naruto in some way?

would have sensed it if the fox had been responsible behind this. Throughout the night, Sarutobi had too many questions but with so little answers.

"The council," he thought out loud, "will not be happy with this development.

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><p><strong>Later that Morning...<strong>

Naruto's head was hurting that morning. It was not because of a headache or anything other than that. His eyes were a little sore, but it was not so bothersome that he gave any extra thought about it. He had heard the nurses talking in the hall. He had hoped that these nurses were just like the others, but of course, Kami proved him wrong. Again. As long as they did not report this to the old man. He was fine.

"We need to talk Naruto."

"Damn it." He muttered under his breath. Why was Kami so cruel to him?

Eyeing the boy in front of him, Sarutobi sat his Hokage hat on the chair behind him. Signing, he took out the report the doctor had given him. "How are feeling Naruto-kun?"

"Better. Thanks for asking Oij-san."

"How your eyes?" Naruto stiffed, then tried to shrug it off, but Sarutobi had already seen it.

"Fine, 0ij-san."

"This report says otherwise, Naruto-kun."

Naruto turned away. He had hoped that it didn't come to this. Opening his eyes, Naruto turned back to the man.

"I didn't want you to know." He said quietly. When Sarutobi didn't respond, he took this as a chance to go on.

"I-I didn't think you would treat me the same if you knew. I didn't want you to be worried about me all the time."

"Naruto-kun you had a minor heart attack. Your anxiety levels are higher than most shinobi. You're not even in your teens yet. What- no why are you trying to go at this alone?" When he got no response from the boy, Sarutobi could only sign and leave the boy to his thoughts.

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><p><strong>Three hours later...<strong>

The council was in turmoil. The civilian side was calling for Naruto's death as usual. The fear was evident in their eyes. Over the years, the glares had lessened sure, but the hatred was still there. Sarutobi, stood before them, arms crossed over his chest overlooking everyone else.

"If the child is blinded, we must take action while it's weakened." Shouted Koharu.

"You old bat, you would kill a child?" Tsume growled.

"Troublesome, this meeting is." Shikaku muttered.

"We're not killing any children, Koharu." Sarutobi stated, rubbing his forehead.

"Sarutobi, don't be foolish. The child is a threat to the rest of society. He should be detained from entering the academy. You should have let him join my ROOT program." Danzo said.

"Listen to me. All of you." The council quieted down. "As the Hokage, I have the final say. In addition, I say that until the boy is eighteen or older, he shall have a guardian protecting him until then. This meeting is dismissed."

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><p><strong>Later that day...<strong>

In the all of Sarubtobi's years as a Hokage, he'd never thought he would see the day, where there was no paperwork in his sight for the first time in years. He'd sent his secretary to find one of his ANBU, who had just returned from a mission from Kiri.

"Hokage-sama, you called for me?"

Swirling around in his chair, Sarutobi made eye contact with the ANBU. He eyed the mark of the ANBU on the right shoulder. "Kurenai-san. Please take a seat. This'll take a long time. And please, remove that mask while it's just the two of us."

The masked nin calmly took the seat that was offered to her. The mask now lay strapped to her hostler on the floor. Her long ebony locks trailed down to her shoulders, giving her an untamed look as they curled at the tips. Her red eyes pierced through the Hokage, something not many shinobi could do. Clearing his throat, Sarutobi leaned back in the chair.

"I've met many people in my lifetime. Some good. Some bad. I've also learned that I can't protect anyone. Sometimes life's a bitch. Sometimes life just sucks. Sometimes no matter how hard you want to turn back the clock, you just have to learn how to move on from the past."

Pause.

"The point is that there is someone I know in the village right now that needs someone. In addition, unfortunately I can't be that person. Sometimes live is just-"

"You're talking about the Uzumaki boy, aren't you?" She asked quietly.

Sarutobi sweat dropped. "What is that obvious?"

"Kind of sir."

Pause.

"You're one of my best jonin in the village Kurenai-san. I need- no Naruto needs someone dear in his life. He may be all happy and smiling on the outside, but he's still a five year old child deep down."

"But Hokage-sama there must be a better candidate than me to look after the boy!" Sarutobi signed again for the thousandth time that day. He figured that he would be doing that more often.

"The boy's parents are dead. His godfather is nowhere to be found, and I highly doubt that you want Kakashi or Guy to care for the child."

Kurenai pictured a mini Kakashi reading that terrible Icha-Icha Paradise novel in public with no shame. Then she pictured something even worse than a mini Kakashi. A mini Guy. Might Guy was already turning one innocent child into a mini clone of himself. She would be dammed if she watched this sweet innocent boy be turned into a youth-wearing spandex weirdo.

"Now you see my problem. If you accept this mission, you will be paid a regularly monthly salary of an S-ranked mission, considering the responsibly of caring for such a small child. You will be named the boy's guardian until he reaches the age of eighteen or until either he or you dies. Whichever one works for you. I request a weekly to monthly check-up report on the boy as well. To make sure he is well fed and cared for of course. If there's ever a medical problem with the boy, I must be notified immediately."

"What kind of medical problems, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi signed again. He was doing that a lot these days. "I'm assuming that for the last few days, Naruto Uzumaki has been blind. What we do not know is whether it has to do with "it" or not yet. Or someone has harmed him. Also, I'm assuming that due from either isolation or something the boy is prone to having… anxiety attacks."

"But Hokage-sama! The boy is only five years old; you said it yourself. He is too young to have anxiety attacks. Isn't he?"

Sarutobi shrugged his shoulders as Kurenai face palmed herself.

"The only thing that I'm certain about is that, that boy needs someone right now. So are you going to take this assignment or not?"

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><p>Naruto heard voices outside. He could not make their names yet, but he could hear them.<p>

"Naruto-kun? Are you awake yet?"

Shifting in the bed, he did not know what to make of the new person since he could not see anymore. He could not move around much, since last night the nurses thought that it was a good idea to bound him to the bed, just because they were afraid that he would have ran off or something. So okay, maybe he was going to go get a breath of fresh air. That didn't mean that he was not coming back, right?

"Do you always try to leave hospitals when you're not supposed to?" The voice giggled quietly. Definitely female. Still the blonde boy did not respond.

"Are you always this silent with strangers?"

"Do you always ask so many questions?"

A loud smack was heard down in the room. Okay, so maybe he deserved it. However, it was true! Sunday's were invented for all day relaxation. In addition, if you have not noticed he was not relaxed at all.

"Who are you?"

"Your new kaa-san."

Kurenai had expected a rude remark coming from the boy, but he did not react to the news. His shoulders were heaving; his whole body was trying to shrink. She would have to read up on the boy's history. At first, she thought he was laughing, but her heart froze when she noticed crystal-shaped beads rolling down his whisker marked cheeks. She encircled her arms around him, after a few moments of wiriness. She felt her dress get all soggy, but tried to push that thought in the deepest part of her mind.

It came slow. He clutched her shirt tightly in his two little fists, his body wracking with tears as he fought against the embrace. He punched her in the side and stomachs a couple of times, but they got lighter and softer as time went on.

"Demons d-don't h-have mothers. Demons d-do not h-have feelings. Why would you-u adopt a demon-n for an son?" He spoke in broken up sobs.

"As long as your heart beats and you have a soul, you're not a monster to me. You are too small to be a monster. Ignorance spreads faster than a wildfire. I adopted you because you have a heart. I adopted you because you have a soul. I adopted you because I want to get to know you." The boy's body wracked with emotion for the first time in a while as the mysterious woman gripped him closer to her body.

"I'll never let you go, Naruto-kun. I'll never let you go."

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><p><strong>Edit: 214/13**

**End chapter of Striking Steel. I am in a good mood since I am off for Thanksgiving break. I am in mood to update my other stories too so let us see what happens, shall we? In addition, this is not a Naruto X Kurenai pairing story. In addition, this fic will be AU.**

**Edit: 7/24/14**

**Changed a few things around. Nothing major really. I'm going to go through the rest of the chapters and update them as well, and then update with a new chapter. I want to thank all of the reviewers for your critiques and please do keep them coming. I would also like to thank everyone for the favorites, alerts, and reviews left so far over the years. **

**Ja ne! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter of Striking Steel…**

**I don't own Naruto and never will.**

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><p><strong>Yuhi household...<strong>

"I don't wanna go."

"Naru-kun, please. We don't have time for this."

It has been three years since Kurenai adopted young Naruto. And truth be told, she was regretting every second. Sure, she didn't have to change diapers or teach him how to use the toilet seat, but everything else was free game. She had a hard time convincing Naruto that milk was not from the devil and ramen was not the ultimate food.

"I hate school. I rarely talked to anyone last year. What's going to be so different this year?" Naruto stormed out of the room, in a hurry with Kurenai right on his tail.

"As long as you live in my house, you're going to the academy. Again. And this year you should at least try to make some friends."

"You're only saying that so I won't stay home." Kurenai snorted.

"You're going if I say you're going."

Silence ranged throughout the Yuhi household as the two occupants looked the other way, avoiding each other's glaze. Naruto tossed his book bag on the floor, ignoring his kaa-san's glare.

"You're book bag doesn't belong on the floor Naruto-kun." It was Naruto's turn to snort.

"Always have a cow." Twirling him around Kurenai shoved him a bit roughly toward the item. "You're nails are digging into my arms god damn it!"

Smacking the back of his head, Kurenai scowled at him. "You're going and that's final."

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><p><strong>Academy Gates...<strong>

Adjusting his book bag on his right side, he walked with Kurenai to the academy in silence. Kurenai had recommended that he take his stick with him, but he claimed that he could get around fine without it. Kurenai had even considered asking Tsume if one of her dogs could help lead Naruto around, but the boy had shot the idea down the minute it was proposed to him.

He was walking home by himself again, since Kurenai was assigned another C-rank mission this morning while her son was asleep. She trusted him(mostly). You see, Naruto was a prankster.

Who enjoyed playing pranks on everyone and anyone who he thought deserved it. He had few friends. In addition, fewer people accepted and treated him the same because he was blind. In their private training sessions, he had punched through the dummy when Kurenai brought up the idea of people pitying him because he was blind. Nonetheless, he played the helpless blind kid act at school and where ever he went (in order to get freebies from store owners). So if Naruto ever pulled a prank and went missing, she also told Iruka-sensei to check one of his favorite hiding places. Kurenai knew that more often than not he was at the Hokage monument. She recommended that Iruka-sensei check their first if Naruto ever went missing.

On a more depressing note, her son was the dead last of the previous year. He didn't try very hard in his studies, as she had done when she was younger. Then again, there weren't many books in braille either. He was excited whenever he found a book in braille. Even if there was a library full of books in braille it probably wouldn't help him that much, since most-if not none of his teachers didn't understood braille.

By the time the family of two had reached the academy; the two of them were talking-well more like arguing quite softly. "Do you have your lunch? Books? How about your coat?"

"Yes, yes, and I'm wearing the coat." Kurenai felt like a new parent again, as she left her only son with Iruka-sensei. She waited until they were out of her sight, when she walked to the Hokage's tower. She was sipping tea when Kakashi and Asuma walked up to her.

"Hey Kurenai. I heard that your son was attending the academy again this year. That must be hard on you, since he's blind in both eyes." Kakashi failed to see Kurenai's glare as he turned one of his pages of Icha-Icha Make out Paradise giggling.

"Not really Kakashi. As long as he tries his best, that's all a parent can ask for from their child."

"Aren't you worried that he might get himself killed on missions if he was able to graduate?" Asuma inquired.

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you two saying that my son can't take care of himself?"

Kakashi held up his hands in defense, giving Kurenai his best eye simile. The three walked in silence to the Hokage's tower, with Kakashi keeping a lot of distance between himself and Kurenai letting Asuma take the brunt of his actions.

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><p><strong>Academy...<strong>

Naruto's day at school wasn't faring any better. He was sitting next to Shino Abrumane. This overall wasn't a bad thing. He was quiet, didn't talk down to Naruto, and most of all he treated him as an equal. His head was laying on the table, as usual. He didn't see any point in coming to the academy. All the books were in normal writing, and he couldn't answer any questions, since you would need eyes for that. The teachers here couldn't even write or read in braille. How was he supposed to know things if he can't read them? Oh, yeah, he was supposed to listen to the teachers.

What's the point of listening to them, if he couldn't see it?

So most of the time he would pass his time sleeping through all the tests and quizzes. Sometimes he might be found hanging out on the roof top with the clouds and the bees at lunch time, since his Kaa-san was a terrible cook. (Though he'd never tell that to her face unless he had a death wish or something.) The class itself wasn't very wonderful. 95 percent of the time, they ignored him whenever there was a group activity that had to be done.

"Class-can I have everyone's attention?" The class' attention was divided at the time of the announcement so it was natural that Iruka was angry. It took the class another five minutes to calm down, at least that's what Naruto had thought. He really couldn't tell time anymore. _Is this a good idea?_ Iruka had thought for a split second before shaking my head.

"Shut up!" That got their attention.

"Since this is a new year, all the teachers at the academy have decided to introduce something called seminar. So if any of you need any extra help in any area, we will be available more often after school for a few hours. Alright, lets continue on with class."

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><p><strong>Lunch...<strong>

The bell ranged interrupting Iruka in the middle of his lecture. Naruto was the last student out the room again. His eyes were sore again, for some reason. He had his left hand on the wall, feeling it for familiar cracks, leading to the library. His lunch was in the trash as usual, since his mom burnt his sandwich again. How she'd burned a plain turkey sandwich was beyond him. He was usually the only one here at lunch time, unless some other kid was looking for answers to the latest test.

"Something I can help you with Naruto?" The voice was deep but had an childish quality to it.

"I was wondering if the library had any books in braille." He checked every day whether the library had any available braille books and the answer was usually negative.

"I doubt this place does, but I happen to have a few books on my desk since a ninja must read and be prepare for about almost anything."

Naruto's ears perked up. A librarian who knew braille...oh my god! Kami was actually on his side this time. It was almost unbelievable. There was a lot of shuffling before something heavy was sat on the table beside him.

"Here you go. Be careful now." Naruto accepted the books, with a smile threatening to split his face into two pieces.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Naruto paused. The person seemed to notice this.

"What's wrong Naruto?" Naruto's frowned deepened.

"You know my name, but I don't know yours..."

"Itachi. Itachi Uchiha. My little brother Sasuke is in your class." The now identified Itachi ruffled Naruto's hair.

"Itachi-san, what are the books about?"

"Basic things such as how to read braille, the history of braille, systems that use braille, how braille is a good thing to learn, how to increase your reading speed while reading braille, and 300 braille."

Naruto could almost practically _feel _the drool sliding down his chin. Itachi laughed as he watched the look on Naruto's face face when he spotted that look on Naruto's face. Shoving the books in his hands, he placed the other books in a bag for him.

"Since you're so interested in reading braille, maybe it'd best for you if you took a few home tonight." Itachi lazily smile as the boy exploded with happiness as his eyes nearly bugged out of his sockets. "You can come pick up the rest of the collection during seminar. Now get out."

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><p><strong>Later that day...<strong>

Kurenai wasn't in the best of moods this afternoon. The mission was a total sham. The only reason why that mission was a C-rank was that the Fire Daimyo's wife lost their cat in another country. What the hell! That little demon bit through her dress again too. Luckily, Kakashi had decided to cage the little monster before it could do any permanent damage. Not to mention the Hokage's little weekly report was due today. In addition, she wasn't very thrilled to speaking again with him about Naruto's eye problem.

It wasn't really a problem per se; it just caused a few incidents that's all. The blond boy was too stubborn for his own good to use his stick anymore, and he loathed the idea of using a guide dog to help him around, despite his doctor and the Kurenai herself recommending it. So guess what she saw on her couch with Naruto when she got home. Yep, a little puppy, and she knew one thing. She wasn't picking up any shit when that dog did it.

"Kaa-san, your home!" Shoving a book in her face, she raised an eyebrow at the tilted of the novel.

"Naru-chan?" She asked. She filled a cup full of water, before stuffing it in the microwave.

"Um…" Kurenai shook her head, as the boy's mouth swallowed bowl after bowl after bowl of ramen.

"Where did you get the book from?"

"One of the new librarians at school."

"Oh, really? Where did the dog come from then?"

"He followed me on the way home and I thought he felt cold and stuff, so I thought it would be better for him to stay with us for a little while."

"You do realize that if that dog craps or throw up on my floor, you know whose butt I'm kicking right?" Naruto pretended to scratch his head.

"Um…it's the dogs right?"

Kurenai's weekly report was shorter than usual. She had been distracted the whole time during the briefing. The icing on the cake wasn't any better. Some super pervert was peeping on Kurenai and some of the other kunoichi in the hot springs. A woman can't even take a dip in the hot springs anymore without even being peeped on. Where was Tsuande-sama when you needed her? Kurenai was currently sitting at the kitchen table, drinking some coffee.

"Kaa-san?" Even though Naruto was almost ten, he still pulled on her dress like a little shy five year old. It was still rather cute.

"Look at what I found." Naruto's little cheeks were puffed out like an chipmunks, his whisker like scars shining in the light. To Kurenai, the book was dots. She didn't really understand braille like Naruto did. He had tried to teach her one day, but after five minutes or so, he lost patience and moved on. She knew that would be a disadvantage on the battlefield if someone used braille as a code. She'd have to get Naruto to teach her again sometime.

"Did you know that in the year 480 B.C. there was this battle called the "Battle of Thermopylae? In addition, these 7 thousand Greek men fought over 100,000 Persians. From the way this books says it, the battle was pretty epic, but the Greek army still lost in the end though."

"What made it more epic is that it's true! And it made learning braille worth the trouble." Kurenai nodded simply patting the over hyperactive blond boy on the head softly.

"This...is...Sparta!" Kurenai giggled as her adopted son, shouted the non-familiar phrase throughout the house the whole night.

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><p><strong>At the library two days later morning...<strong>

"Itachi-san, Itachi-san! Where are you Itachi-san?" Black eyes scanned the library as a loud groan was heard behind him.

Itachi's red pleated striped-pattered kimono swayed in the non-existent breeze, as his eyes focused on one individual. The glaze was soft as the boy held out a half dozen of books. Setting them down on the table, the boy's glaze almost had a pleading look on it.

"Itachi-san can I speak with you?"

"Of course you can, but I'm afraid that I don't have enough time today to be talking to you all day like yesterday." Naruto nodded in understanding.

Pause.

"I thought you would be busy since I gave you a lot of basics on braille." Itachi said after a moment of silence.

"I know but I'd finished most of them already."

"Really?" Itachi's arms were crossed defiantly over his chest; his eyes tracking every movement the little blond boy made.

"Why are you working here Itachi-san?" Pulling up a seat, Itachi pulled the boy to sit down next to him. Finding the offered chair, the boy waited an answer quietly.

"You're not going to leave soon, till I tell are you?" Itachi asked him.

"I swear I'll be a good listener Itachi-san."

"You better be. I don't like repeating myself."

* * *

><p><strong>Later that afternoon...<strong>

Iruka was worried. Scratch that. Iruka was near a nervous breakdown. One of his little students didn't show up for the morning portion of class. '_Where are_ _you Naruto?_' The scared chunin thought.

The boy's mother would not be happy if Iruka had indeed lost her small fox boy. Kurenai was a laid back friend most of the time, when it _didn't_ involve Naruto. However when it _does_ involve him, it can get ugly in a hurry. Therefore, as long as Naruto was safe, he was too.

"Iruka-sensei!" came an excited voice. Iruka's heart swelled with hope as a boulder of flesh and bone knocked the wind out of him.

Iruka was covered with Naruto's in every direction. Iruka's eyes widened as multiple Narutos sat on each other. Iruka blinked and rubbed his eyes.

Dusting himself off, he lifted Naruto off the ground and checked the boy for wounds. Walking next to Iruka, Naruto moved his hand against the wall. The cracks were familiar to him as usual.

"Sorry I'm late Iruka-sensei; I got caught up with my studies in the library."

The scarred chunin gave a lecture to the boy on tardiness on their way back to the classroom, but on the inside, Iruka was relieved to see the blond prankster again. Sliding the door open, he was met with a face full of flour and oil mixed together. Naruto's shoulders heaved twice, his breathing quickening. He kept his head down, cursing himself quietly when he let out a giggle. The scarred chunin grabbed the back of the boy's neck, a scowl set on his face.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Naruto-kun?" He said through gritted teeth as the blonde-haired person squirmed underneath him.

"Uh…happy birthday?"

"NARUTO!"

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><p><strong>Edit: 215/13**

**End chapter two of Striking Steel. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and added me under any kind of favorite or alert. Review. Thanks for reading! This story is taking place in the Naruto world, and it will not stick to canon.**

**Edit: 8.9.14**


	3. Chapter 3

**Third chapter of Striking Steel.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

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><p><em><strong>"Are you okay?" That voice...seemed familiar. It had a soft quality to it and <span>seemed<span> friendly. Gentle hands moved under my arms, lifting me on my feet. Something wet was flowing down my cheeks. I touched my face with a finger and wiped the substance away. I put it in my mouth and it tasted salty. Tears...they were called tears.**_

_**"What were you doing out in the rain?" I couldn't seem to find my voice. My head leaned against the warmth offered to me. A suspected that the strange women wrapped a towel around me gingerly and brought me even closer. **_

_**This felt...nice. Yeah, that's it. It felt nice.**_

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><p><strong>Three months later-Academy…<strong>

Shino was curious. His blond friend Naruto was acting strange he meant that the blonde-haired person was acting completely insane. He believed that his blond friend was hiding something. He kept his head down more often than necessary, and he seemed out of it more often. He didn't want to say anything, but if Naruto didn't get better soon, he would be forced to intervene.

It wasn't until recently that Iruka-sensei started having them to taijutsu classes outside. His match was against Sakura Haruno.

Sakura was one of the many Uchiha's fan girls. Shino watched her take a basic stance, and crack her hands a few times. He-on the other hand, preferred to take a much more relaxed stance compared to hers. The match lasted no longer than a few seconds when Shino sent a round house kick to her temple. The other kids watched as Ino dragged her friend/rival off the mat and to the other side of the arena.

When Iruka-sensei called the next match, he was hoping this wasn't another bad idea. "Naruto Uzumaki-Yuhi vs.-"

Excuse me Iruka-san, but may I suggest something." Everyone turned to Itachi holding a box of pocky in his arms.

"I'd think it would be a good idea if Naruto-kun faced off against my little brother Sasuke in a friendly spar for a few minutes." Iruka caught Naruto's eyes quickly and noticed he was shaking his head "no" and placing his hands in a praying position.

"I guess that would be alright Itachi-san."

"Damn you Iruka-sensei." The blond boy muttered under his breath.

The two fighters took their place in the middle of the mat, bowing to each other, silently glaring at each other to fail. Naruto easily pared the kick Sasuke threw at him, using the momentum to flip himself over him. Adjusting his shirt, he took the initiative to charge at Sasuke. Gripping his left arm, he dragged Sasuke toward him. He gritted his teeth as Sasuke blocked his punch with his available fist. Pulling Naruto towards him, Sasuke punched him squarely in the face.

"I thought this was supposed to be a _friendly_ spar." Naruto stated, as he wiped off blood on his chin.

"It was-but I got a little bored. I hope you don't mind dobe."

"Well, you better start getting un-bored, now teme. We're keeping this match at a friendly spar and that's that. Don't forget, your bother is watching us. I hate for him to see you get hurt."

"Then I guess I better finish-" Sasuke cut himself off, when Naruto's foot connected with his jaw.

* * *

><p><strong>With Itachi and Iruka…<strong>

"It's nice to see Naruto sparring with other children his age again," Itachi said, while sipping a glass of tea, with Iruka in the shade.

"His own age?" Itachi nodded.

"Usually, he spends his time sparring with his mother and some of the older chunins. I suppose he likes a challenge."

"All youngsters like a challenge." Iruka and Itachi watched their disciples try to get the upper hand, while the other students watched on with excitement.

"Yosh! These children are glowing with the flames of youth!"

"That's one happy boy…" Itachi stated. Iruka watched Naruto deliver an upwards kick to his other student, efficiently ending the match.

"And that was a harsh kick."

* * *

><p><strong>With Naruto and Sasuke…<strong>

"The dobe cheated Iruka-sensei! You said that we weren't allowed to use any kind of jutu." Naruto shook her head, his side bangs covering his eyes from Sasuke.

"No." Naruto began.

"That wasn't a jutsu teme. That was what people called a strong kick. Maybe you should work on yours."

"No comment."

Naruto laughed at the boy's words, pulling him up with little difficulty.

"At least you get to spar with your brother after school."

"Good job, Naruto-kun. You too Sasuke-kun. It'd be best that I get going Iruka-san. I have a mission later tonight, and I want to stock up on supplies before I leave."

Therefore, Itachi left the curious students and tired teacher…but not without hearing a few choice words from our favorite blonde-haired person…

"WHAT? You never told me that! Can I go with you? This place is boring." Itachi chuckled.

"Sorry Naruto!"

"Aww. I never get to do anything fun." Naruto stomped the floor like a five year old.

"Don't worry! I'm sure you'll get missions when you graduate!"

" Yeah. In my dreams probably."

* * *

><p><strong>Later that evening…<strong>

"How was school today gaki?"

Naruto felt three familiar charka signatures in the room, and signed. His mother knew he was a very private young man. He'd considered lying to his mom and her little "friends," or as he called them, "drink buddies", but he had a few bad experiences with lying to his mother in the past, so why lie and have a broken nose in the end, instead of telling her how he really felt. Either way, he was probably going to be getting a broken nose by the end of the night. It would be healed by the next morning anyways.

"Fine."

"What's wrong? Did someone hit you? Bruise you?" Kurenai's voice lowered to a whisper. "Are you going through the 'change'?"

Naruto's eyes widened, "Kaa-san! That is not something I would want to talk about in front of company."

Naruto groaned even more, as a certain pervert ruffled his already unruly hair; his foul mood worsened even more as more giggles sounded throughout the room, as he coughed red liquid in his palm. Turning away from the others, he trudged up the stairs wiping each drop of blood off his chin. A warm hand stopped him mid-way.

"Naruto-kun, you know I was just joking around don't you?" Kurenai asked.

Naruto nodded. Kurenai usually joked around more when she was surrounded by friends, but other that the house was silent on a regular basis.

Kurenai frowned, as the young boy didn't answer her, his left arm going limp. She focused her attention elsewhere for a moment, just noticing the bloody palm and dripping blood spilling all over her stairs. Naruto's legs gave out under him, with Kurenai going into mother-hen-panic-mode.

"Naruto? Naruto!" Kakashi swept Naruto from her arms, transporting them to the hospital in little to no time.

* * *

><p><strong>30 minutes later...<strong>

"This isn't making any sense! He was just in my arms thirty minutes ago. Safe! Why? Why didn't I see it? That blood was there clear as day. I should have seen it!" Kurenai was hugging her arms to her chest, tears crawling down her cheeks quietly.

"Probably because you were too busy teasing him and dealing with Asuma with your eyes the whole time."

"Shut up Anko."

Kurenai considered punching her best friend in the throat for a minute, but chose to take out her frustrations on the kitchen wall. Therefore, if you asked her later on, it wasn't she who placed a fist sized crater in the middle of the kitchen wall. It was Naruto. End of story.

She knew that the Hokage would be notified of this event, like always. It wasn't the first time Naruto passed out from an attack. It was however, the first one she didn't see it coming, and that was what was hurting her the most right now.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Flashback- 3yrs ago…<em>**

"_Naruto-kun, are you all right in there?" _

_It was a stupid question to ask. The boy was coughing blood like there was no tomorrow, and she was locked out of the bathroom on the other side of the door. The blond bundle of yellow sunshine refused to take the medication all the doctors prescribed him. He claimed that it made the coughing worse._

"_Naruto-kun. It can't be all bad." Naruto groaned even louder on his way to his bedroom._

"_How would you know?" Naruto slammed the door in her face, tears swimming down his face. _

"_You don't know how it feels like to be an outsider all the time. I'm already blind, and my mother is __**the** __Kurenai Yuhi__. It's just worse when everyone is pitying you because of a little 'anxiety' attack every now and again." She heard him yell through the door. It felt as though someone had taken a knife and cut out her heart with the blunt blade. _

"_It's not considered pity, Naruto-kun. The doctors and I just want you to get better. Please, let me in the room."_

"'_It's not pity, Naruto__.' That's just a bunch of bull crap. That's what life is. Bull crap here and bull crap there. The only thing those doctors want from me is my __death__ and you're too __blind__ to see it." Kurenai had enough. She kicked the door in, and gripped Naruto by his arms and forced him to stay still._

"_You're the only blind one here Naruto! Both psychologically and physically. You're too blind by your fear and hatred to see that they are people who actually care for you as a person. Not as a demon, but a living breathing human being. Don't you remember all the laughter we shared together as a __family__?"_

"_Yeah I do, but I also remember feeling and seeing the stares and glares that were sent my way. So I'm sorry that I can't let__go of a part of me that I've had since I was born."_

"_You're right Naruto-kun. I can't tell how to deal with your life. I can't tell you to let go of all that anger. However, I can help you ease it little by little, until it's gone. I just want to help you Naruto. As your mother, I have the responsibility to at least help try to help you overcome your problems. Don't you trust me enough to do at least that much?" _

_Naruto was silent for a moment. Kurenai turned back for a minute, walking down the hallway in silence, looking over her shoulder every now and again for that little boy she'd come to love as her own. She was tackled from behind, before her foot hit the last stair, muffled cries drawing her back to reality. _

_She carefully wrapped the crying blond in her arms, caressing his back in small smooth circles, rocking him back and forth in haste moments like a frantic mother trying to console a broken down two year old. Physical speaking Naruto was almost a tween, but mentally he was still a two year old. _

_She couldn't take away all his pain. _

_However, she could die trying. _

_The first thing on the list was to keep her son away from Kakashi and Guy for as long as possible. She'd be dammed if she watched her vulnerable son be turned in a mini youth character or even worse. A mini Kakashi. Kakashi wasn't that bad but… that's another story but anyway, mother and son stayed like that for a while. At least, till our favorite blond hero tensed in Kurenai's arms. _

_With no warning, Naruto threw up in Kurenai's lap. It was bad enough that ramen and salmon were mixed in there, but when she noticed the blood, she panicked._

"_You ungrateful little brat! You couldn't have given me a clear warning before you up-chucked on me! This is my favorite dress!" _

_Naruto ignored her as he covered his mouth again. _

"_Oh no, we're not going through this again." _

_Scooping the blonde-haired person soon to be shinobi under her arms, she rushed off to the bathroom. Least to say, Anko got a kick out of the story, when she blackmailed Kurenai into telling her why she, __Kurenai Yuhi, __was __late__ for the latest jonin meeting, but that's another story too. _

_The point is that Kurenai and Naruto's relationship was less rocky and they had resolved some old issues and made new ones. Ah… what a perfect and lively family. _

**_End flashback…_**

* * *

><p>Sarutobi was quite shocked to say the least. Why would one of the world's most influential and powerful people in all the five nations be literately shell-shock? Well, it wasn't every day when you see one of your best ANBU hit on a fellow ANBU member, but then again who could blame him? Life was unpredictable and tragic for most shinobi.<p>

Now, in general-women were mysterious creatures to the third Hokage. One moment, you're kissing each other like there's no tomorrow, and then the next minute you're on the floor with a broken arm.

Weird, isn't it?

Anyway Itachi Uchiha was...talking to said member, and Sarutobi couldn't help but feel as if he was intruding on a very important moment. Then again, he came at a very crucial part too. It wasn't every day, you saw Itachi Uchiha get pimp slapped by a pissed off female. With Kakashi that was more than likely to happen since it did all the time, but with Itachi Uchiha; that was just plain funny.

Itachi walked over to the esteemed Hokage, bowing in respect making room for him to walk through the door. The Hokage nodded to him, letting a smirk pass threw his defenses for a quick moment.

"I don't believe that picking up girls is part of the job, Itachi-san."

"Hokage-sama I came to the hospital in order to check on Naruto, but that was too much to ask for." Swinging an arm around Itachi's shoulder, she pointed her finger towards him. "And it looks like I found a young arrogant asshole. Hokage-sama, I'll leave you and the asshole alone."

Sarutobi whistled as she strolled casually out of the room totaling ignoring the glare fired at her. "That's one feisty woman, all right Itachi. If only you could speak girl; then you probably wouldn't have received the 'asshole' title."

Pause.

"I think she rated you a four."

Sarutobi chuckled at the young nins face, easily shrugging off the glare the boy sent to him. The smile flipped over into a frown, though when Sarubtobi's eyes landed on the prone form of Naruto.

"So…" he asked. The cheerful and playful tone disappeared. Sarubtobi's stoned look surprised the normally stoic Uchiha.

"…How is he?"

"Not so good Hokage-sama."

"What are the full extents of his injuries?" He asked. Itachi frowned.

"The doctors aren't sure still. We're waiting on the blood tests for one. Also, Kurenai wants some alone time with the boy." Sarutobi nodded.

"Will he live through the night?"

Pause.

"They don't think so."

* * *

><p><strong>Edit: 215/13**

**End chapter of Striking Steel. Thank you all to who reviewed and added me onto their favorite list and story alert. Review and have a great holiday! Who should train young Naruto and his future teammates? I have a few people in mind, but the only problem is that I'm a very indecisive person. See you next time.**

**Edit: 8.9.14**

**I changed a few more things in here including the grammar and the plot line a little bit. I hope this is better than before, even if its better by a little bit. I would like to thank all the reviewers and alerts/favorites. I appreciate all the reviews and I do take them in consideration and value them highly. Please review if you have the time. Ja ne! **


	4. Chapter 4

_**I do not own Naruto**_…

* * *

><p><em><strong>Naruto's Mindscape…<strong>_

This was a perfect day. Well almost perfect day. First he whoops Sasuke's ass in front of Iruka-sensei and Itachi-san, but then his mother and her friends gave him a headache…this just was not Naruto's day-simple as that.

It also did not take a monkey without a brain to see that with knee level water, and the stench of blood in the air, the boy was in his mindscape.

Again.

This was not the first time that Naruto has mysteriously woken up from inside his mindscape. It was the** first** time, however that he had woken up in this crappy place, and had to actually find the Kyuubi! It was stupid. Like HELLO? This was **his** mindscape right. Why would he have to find that deranged fox?

But whatever. Everything happens for a reason. Everything has a place in the great circle of life. Whatever.

Okay, so maybe Naruto was not in the best of places. So maybe Naruto was not in the best of health. Nevertheless, he still knew where he was going, right?

"Damn it…"

Naruto was starting to get worried. He was also furious. Moreover, he was tired at the same time. "I'm just a rainbow of emotions right now, you know that? In addition, the worst part is that I am talking to myself. In my head. So not cool."

The place pretty much looked all the same to Naruto. The walls had cracks in different places, but still. Everything was the damn same. The water was not getting any higher but it was not getting any lower at the same time. And as crazy as it sounded, he was scared to call out for help. Why would he need help in his own mind?

"_**Lost as always, aren't you little Naru-chan?"**_

"You know what you overgrown ass...idiot? If you weren't a coward and showed yourself right now, then I'd kick your ass!"

**"Oh...how original.**" Kyuubi chuckled.

"SHUT UP, KYUUBI!"

"_**I'm not the idiot who can't seem to find the cage, young Naru-chan."**_

"Would you stop calling me young or little Naru-chan? That gets old real fast."

"_**It seems that you are still denying who you truly are,**__** young Naru-chan**__**."**_

Naruto tried picturing himself in the front of the cage. With a smiling…well, smirking overgrown fox, standing in front of him, but Kyuubi decided to open his big mouth again.

"_**You can't find me that way, Naruto. You have to find me the old fashion way." Kyuubi's voice ranged out from all directions.**_

"Well, excuse me, _**Kyu-chan**_. Some of us actually want to be spared the hassle of having to walk a thousand kilometers to find old…foxes."

Naruto received no answer, but he knew that the fox had heard him. Naruto trudged through the water, again mumbling to himself, about how he was going to deep-fry himself some fox kabob or fox stew for dinner. Either way, Naruto had to know what happened.

The cage was larger than what Naruto had remembered it to be. It was empty, but the seal was still intact. Maybe the fox went to go get its nails done, I don't know. Naruto wearily approached his tenant's cage, creeping to the edge. A dark laugh sounded through the room, but as far as Naruto was concerned, nothing was funny.

Weighing his head, against a bar, he took baby steps, into the cage. _You can do this Naruto. Show that fox whose he's messing with. _He thought to himself. Giving yourself a pep talk…not the best thing to do, while in the cage of an overgrown bunny, whose ready to slice you up with claws as long as you. He could do this. He could.

"_**If I kill you I die as well, you idiot." **_Naruto did not know whether to feel pleased, or pissed. Stupid ass fox…Naruto leaned against the steels bars, ready to get out as soon as things turned bad.

Kyuubi, on the other hand, looked as though Naruto was a mere fly on the wall. Naruto was smaller than a grain, defenseless as a newborn kitten, and had a raisin-sized brain. Okay, so maybe the Kyuubi was exaggerating things, but nonetheless. Naruto was in** his** cage, with **no** weapons. Not a good plan. Still, he did not intend to harm Naruto…yet. Naruto's health was far more important at this moment since this concerned him as well.

If Naruto gets sick and dies, then how can Kyuubi extract his revenge on humanity for imprisoning him into a pint-sized midget who knows nothing? However, as long as he is in the little brat, why not have a little fun?

"I'm not little baka-fox! I just haven't reached my growth spurt yet."

"_**Sure..."**_ Kyuubi stretched. _**"..Midget…that's the reason."**_

For another minute, the room was silent. Considering Naruto was trying to fry the fox with his eyes, and vice versa, the two never noticed the room hazing, for a minute.

"What did you want?" Naruto asked.

"_**Excuse me?" **_

"What do you want with me?" He repeated.

"_**Why would I want to talk to an ungrateful brat like you?"**_

"If you did not call me, then why am I here?" Kyuubi snorted.

"_**Feeble little vessel, you are. Apparently, you must have too much stress on your body, since you ended up here." **_

"Stress? I'm not stressed at all."

"_**Then why are you here?"**_

"That's what I've been asking all along, fur ball!"

Kyuubi signed. It really was not in the mood to deal with his container. He was just trying to catch a little sleep, before this buffoon came. That ship has gone now…ah well. Swishing his tails back and forth, he titled his chin sideways as a new presence caught his attention.

"_**Too much." **_Naruto blinked.

"Too much what?"

"_**Too much." The fox repeated ignoring Naruto's question. "After you get more info, then come back to me. Till then-don't talk to me."**_

Naruto felt an invisible force swept against him; his mind making a crash landing in a new area. Mumbled voices surrounded him, overwhelming his senses. A few particular voices sounded through the most, including his Kaa-san's and the old man's. They were arguing again. Titling his head in their supposed general direction, Naruto gave a short "humph" gaining everyone's attention in said room.

Warm hands pressed against his forehead, a sharp ache running through his skull a second later. "Ow…that sorta hurt Kaa-san."

"Don't get smart with me mister." Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"You don't think I did this on purpose do you? I for one-hate hospitals. I'd jump out the closest window, if I knew where it was."

"You over did it again!" Naruto frowned.

"What does that mean? Everyone keeps telling me that!" Unknown to our blond hero, everyone in the current room sweat dropped.

"Kurenai-san?" Naruto did not know this person. Maybe it was the doctor.

"I have young Naruto-san's medical report." That got everyone's attention.

"He has high stress levels-"

"No I don't! I am not stress out about anything. I might have "high stress levels" because you old farts keep saying so. Ever thought about that?" Naruto mumbled.

Kurenai shook her head at the young blonde-haired person.

"-we think that he should be taken out of the academy for a while, or some of his activities should be less…extensive."

"_But that's how you live_. I'll become another Shikamaru if I _don't move_ every five seconds!"

"And the blood." That was Itachi. His deep baritone voice was easy for Naruto to pick out. Only a few other people that Naruto knew had a voice like that.

"Just a few minor blood clots in his lungs. As long as he does not stress himself out, and take his meditation, he will be fine."

"Hear that Naruto?" Kurenai ruffled Naruto's hair a smile spreading across her face. "Take the _meditation and you'll be fine_."

"How do we _know_ that the _meditation_ isn't the _problem_-and not me?"

"Naruto!" Said blonde-haired person smirked.

"Just asking Kaa-san."

* * *

><p><strong>Edit: 217/13**

**_End chapter of Striking Steel. Thank you to all for adding me onto their favorites and alert list. I am sorry about not updating for a while. Thank you for the suggestions as well. Was Naruto a little OOC in this chapter? Still, thank you for your patience. The next chapter will most likely be during Winter Break. Have a good weekend!_**

**_Edit: 8.9.14_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Fifth Chapter of Striking Steel**

**I do not own Naruto…**

* * *

><p>Three weeks. Three freaking weeks long. Naruto's muscles cramped and twitched every way possible. To insure that Naruto was not going "anywhere important" Kurenai had given everyone specific directions that our favorite blond hero was ordered him on lock down.<p>

"Lock down! I am eight years old, Ka-san. I don't need to be on lock down." Signing deeply, Kurenai ruffled the blond haired boy's spiky locks.

"You are eight physically but you're five mentally Naru-kun."

From an onlookers perspective the sparks that flew from both mother and son, would be considered quite unhealthy. Oh well. Staying in the hospital was not **that** bad. I mean-the food was terrible, the bedding was always tearing, and there was always a great chance that you could wake up next to a dead person. Hospitals were the **best**.

Still his little visit was not that bad since Shino visited often after the academy. Shino was…is…more talkative since meeting Naruto three years ago.

* * *

><p><em>Flashback…<em>

_Kurenai had just dropped off young Naruto, with his "Anko-neechan." The women wore almost nothing but a trench coat and a fish net underneath. How she did not get tickets for disturbing the peace of the community, Naruto will never know. Anko had wandered off to the nearest dango stand leaving the young blond haired person alone and to his own devices. _

_Naruto stilled used his stick at this time, so it would not be for another year when he would get rid of it. The stick was not that important though. Well it was important now since he used it to walk and stuff, just not for later. Anyways most of our present day Rookies were at this park. Which meant that yes- so were there parents. Naruto's sight was gone, but his hearing was not. Most of their parents used his pranks as an excuse for their children not to play with him. Pranks, really? They would glare at the young hero, but being a blind child, the looks and glares were always lost on him. Isolating the young boy was a more effective way than trying to beat the boy. Physically speaking. _

_Ever since Naruto had moved in with Kurenai, the shopkeepers were nicer to him, when __**in her**__ presence. They charged him as if he was just a normal person when in __**her**__ presence. Luckily, for our young blonde-haired person, Kurenai was always in his personal space. Good for a five year old, __**but**__ bad for an eight year old. Still, I am getting off topic. _

_Shino was a curious child. It was in his nature. So what if he did not interact with others. He was more of an observer than a participate. His bugs were more than enough company for him. At least that is what he always told himself. He knew that his appearance was odd to most seven year olds. Then again being different is a blessing sometimes. _

_Shino's eyebrows flew past his hairline upon seeing Naruto talking-well arguing with Anko. 'How interesting. Naruto-san rarely comes to the park, especially with Anko-san of all people. I wonder where his Ka-san is. Oh well.' He thought._

_Normally Shino did not talk to others. Normally Naruto was the one to approach people. However, these two soon to be shinobi are not normal shinobi. Walking at a brisk pace, Shino ignored the awkward looks others sent his way, specifically the parents. His own parents really had no opinion about the boy, since said boy rarely came up for conversion in the house. That is a different story however for another time. _

_Shino's flak jacket flowed in the breeze, his dark eyeglasses obstructing his eyes from practically everyone in the park. Shino's small form blocked all forms of sunlight in front of Naruto who was by himself in a swing set. For a swing set, it was eerily quiet. _

_When most people visit a swing set, it is always creaking and stuff, but this particularly swing set was just quiet. Shino cleared his throat loudly, making his presence known. Like Shino, Naruto wore sunglasses, but for a different reason than Shino. _

"_Can I help you?" _

"_You're a very interesting person Naruto-san. Why you ask? Simply because you are still determined to become a ninja despite your injury. That's very intriguing." Shino's voice was firm, well balanced, and almost emotionless. _

"_Thank you?" _

"_May I take the seat next to you? I would like to carry this conversion sitting down, on proper...eye level if you don't mind." Naruto waved at the other seat._

"_Be my guest." Naruto "looked" the other direction-his nerves jumping into overload. This was not his first time interacting with other children his age, but he was not any social expert on socializing with children. _

_Despite what Shino had said about trying to carry on a conversion, the duo was relaxed, quiet, and stiller than a pair of statutes. Shino was surprised at this new Naruto. Before the accident, he knew that Naruto would have been talking his ear off. However, this new Naruto was more subdued and calmer. Shino decided that he liked the old Naruto better. Still Naruto is Naruto. Shino is…Shino. _

_Both boys had walked home together, only being around twenty minutes apart. Shino discovered that Naruto was actually failing purposely in the academy. _

"_It is one thing to fail on purpose because you don't know the material. It is another thing to fail when you can succeed. So why choose to fail? Isn't it possible to past without having to reveal all your secrets?" Shino asked._

"_Anything's possible Shino-san. I guess I could quote Shikamaru-san "Trying to pass is just too troublesome.""_

"_I'd think that you would better off trying your best, while holding back Naruto-san. I am not suggesting that you become the Rookie of the Year or something like that. I'm only suggesting that you at least put forth some effort." _

"_I'll think about it."_

"_Hey gaki you forget something!" Shino and Naruto stopped in their tracks, their backs still to the voice. Naruto signed. _

_Anko banged the young blond haired person with the mysterious object. Shino smirk was lost on both due to his high collar. _

"_Anko-neechan I do not need that contraption in order to get around."_

"_Not the point gaki. I got this for a discount and you're going to use this stick one way or another." _

"_What if that seemly innocent stick breaks his legs though?" Shino asked off handily. Anko gave him the Are- you- on- crack- right- now- look. _

"_I agree fully with Shino-san. Sticks can kill people nowadays." Shino nodded._

_What do you get in the end? A weird start for two great friends, a pissed off Anko, and two friends with two great big lumps on their heads on the side. _

_Flashback end…_

* * *

><p>Still not even Shino's presence could stop Kurenai from putting Naruto on lockdown after said blond haired person got out of the hospital. Yuna-san had dropped by for a while, helping Naruto catch up with his studies and all, with the dainty help from Amber, Asher, and Alicia. Iruka-san was supposedly out of the village now on some super-secret mission or whatever. Both Tidus, Claire, and Sierra were busy helping out with the new shop downtown, so it was nearly impossible for them to come visit him. Just his luck that both Marlene-chan and Tifa-chan were out visiting a family member in the far west too.<p>

Everyone was busy nowadays. What happened to the days when a child could get fun and not be on a stupid "lockdown?"

"This "lockdown" is not that bad Naruto-san." Shino said sipping his tea.

"Not bad? There are seals and guard dogs located around the house, Shino! I cannot risk leaving this building or my Ka-san will send me back to the hospital all expenses paid."

* * *

><p><strong>Three weeks later… Uzumaki-Yuhi household<strong>

"I'm giving you a great opportunity to surrender Naruto-kun. You can't win."

"I'm not giving up Kakashi. I am going to win for all the non-perverted people in the world."

"I warned you."

With silver hair that defied the very law of gravity, Hatake Kakashi was a mysterious man. He had supposedly learned over a thousand justu, knew the hidden secret to defeat paperwork, and had mysteriously avoided death when Kurenai had questioned him about his favorite…uh… hobby…yeah we'll go with that. Kakashi was a mysterious man indeed.

Still, bullying an eight year old child who was blind is not exactly good for a self-image. At least that's what Kurenai came home too this evening.

"Kakashi!"

Blinking, Kakashi started innocently at the Genjustu mistress.

"What? We were just arm wrestling."

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><p><strong>Edit 217/13**

**End chapter of Striking Steel.** **I would like to thank all the reviewers, favorite author/story, and story/author alert people. I'm sorry that it took that long for this chapter to come out. See you next time.**


	6. Chapter 6ish

**Sixth Chapter of Striking Steel**

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><p><strong>Academy…Near Graduation time (Finally!)<strong>

"If you're pissed and you know it, clap your hands."

_Clap! Clap!_

If you're pissed and you know clap your hands."

_Clap! Clap!_

If your pissed and you know it, then your face will surely show it, if you're pissed and you know it clap your hands."

_Clap! Clap!_

"You're such a bad influence Naru-kun."

Naruto merely shrugged his shoulders at the statement. His mother knew that he hated babysitting and these children wanted to learn something new! They did…even if it was highly inappropriate for their age group. Naruto was a person who never really worried over such trivial matters. Life was too short for that.

The voice however, had different ideas.

"Naruto-kun? What if someone hears them singing that song!"

"Tenten-chan, relax. You can always blame your problems on someone else. If I had to pick someone to blame, for this rightful doing, it would be either Sasuke or Kiba."

"Why?"

"Simple, Ten-chan. One is an emo avenger-wanna be, who is pissed at the world and glares at every breathing creature on the plant. Sometimes you have to wonder if he is gay. Women flock to him like butter on rice, but he ignores them like pests. Something isn't right about that." Naruto muttered the last sentence to himself.

"And Kiba?"

"Kiba's just my rival."

"Um…."

Paint this picture if you will. Two young would-be-killers babysitting toddlers for minimal wage, with one teen trying his best not to commit suicide or strangle a little child. Naruto's tan face was soon whiter than a ghost, as wet liquid dripped off his face. If you were quiet enough, you could hear squeals of happiness. Ten-ten watched with amusement written all over face as she bounced a newborn on her shoulder, her motherly instincts taking over for a second.

Tenten's buns were slightly a mess, lines literally craved under her eyelids. Her sleeves were torn at the sides, but at least her pants were still intact, unlike a certain somebody started chopping them with scissors. Babies are small, but who didn't say that they couldn't be killers? They're evil nowadays.

Aren't babies a lot of **fun**?

* * *

><p><strong>Lunch Break!<strong>

"You still got a little smudge on your pants."

"Shut up! Don't belittle me."

"Oooh…you finally know a big word."

"Shut up! I will not tolerate your bull crap!"

"No need to yell, Naruto-kun. I am merely pointing out-"

_Smack! Splash!_

"I am so sorry Tenten-chan."

_Smack! Splash!_

"Ten-ten."

"What?"

"Do you know how **awesome**- and I mean _**awesome**_ this shirt was?"

"It's a shirt."

"It was an _awesome _shirt!"

"You're **blind** you idiot! You can't **see** that shirt anyways!"

"You don't have to be blind, to know what a wet shirt feels like and miss how awesome looking it probably was."

"It's called payback, baby. End of story."

"Excuse-"

"End of s-t-o-r-y. The end. Finished. It's packaged and we've now sent it away. And it's not coming back. Never."

"Sent what away?"

"Just shut up, Naruto-kun."

* * *

><p><strong>Academy…<strong>

"What took you guys so long? Your lunch is only thirty minutes."

Silence…

"Did you guys have a little…_fun_?"

"Shut up!"

Dressed in a pink kimono with crimson-sky sakura petals scattered on the dress, Anko's hair was pulled back in a bun. Her face held a playful smirk with that mischievous twinkle in her eyes. If one had looked closely enough, they would have noticed how her lips tightened at the end of her statement.

"I'm just saying, I'm surprised that you would want to go at it, in a daycare in the day time."

"Anko we didn't-"

"I mean, I would have waited to at least all the kids were gone, but hey! You do crazy things when you're in _love_."

"Oh Kami no." Now it was Ten-ten's turn to look pale. "Oh Kami no. No. No. No. No. No. No. Eww. No. No."

"Alright I think she gets the point. Besides what's wrong with us being in love?"

"Oh HELL NO! No. No. No. Oh God no."

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><p><strong>Edit 217/13- Chapter 7 should be out sometime 2-18-13. Thank you for all the favorites, alerts, and reviews!**

**Hey everyone! It's been a while huh? This is only a filler chapter until a chapter comes out. I'm sorry…ish.**

**Edit:8.9.14. Ahh...good memories.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Naruto… for if I did, I would be rich and happy in Japan right now…**

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><p><em><strong>"You poor thing you!" Hands wiped my face with a cloth and soothing words. <strong>_

_**"Hold your fork like this and move it around like this." I liked the lady but she babied me a little too much, but when she put those noddles in my mouth...I wasn't complaining anymore. **_

_**"You really seem to like the chicken noddle soup the most." She seemed like she was always taking notes though. **_

_**Sometimes, I don't feel human around her. No, I felt like an experiment being played and watched carefully. **_

_**"I want to play a game okay Naruto? Follow the sound of my voice." **_

_**"Why?" My voice was still cracking from under use.**_

_**"This little game will improve your awareness skills and its just plain old fun okay?" I could hear a subtle edge to her voice and immediately nodded.**_

_**"Good, now let's begin." **_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Academy…<strong>_

Most of the kids in the academy were excited. Why you ask? Graduation was over, and team assignments were today! Aren't you excited?

Naruto was one of the more excited genin in the room, and for a good reason. It wasn't every day where a blind kid passed his graduation exam. That was impressive enough. It was four years since Naruto had met Itachi, and it was a surprise that it had turned out to be a good thing. Itachi had managed to convince Naruto to try his best and succeed in school. Granted, Naruto never did anything to make people think he was anything special. He only worked well enough to pass off as average.

It had been four years since Naruto met Itachi. And it had also been four years since Itachi had slaughtered his entire clan, except for his younger brother. Itachi's deflection was hard on everybody.

Iruka got everyone's attention as he began reading off team names.

"Team one…team two…team three…" Like many other students, Naruto fell asleep when until Iruka began to announce his team.

"Team ten is Naruto Uzumaki, Ino Yamanaka, and Shikamaru Nara. Your sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi." Iruka gave everyone a few minutes to allow everything to sink in, before calming them down once more.

"Wait here for your sensei. I wish all of you the best of luck." With that Iruka walked out the room.

The moment that door closed, total chaos happened. Many of the girls (including Ino) were crying rivers at not being on the same team as the rookie of the year: Sasuke. Shikamaru groaned as Ino wails reached his ears. Moving his seat, he moved to the only quiet place in the room. Naruto didn't even look his direction as he took the seat next to him. Shino was on the opposite side of Naruto, but he seemed to be sleeping as well if his even breathing was anything to go by.

"Why are girls so loud, Shikamaru?" Naruto's voice was muffled and tired, but the Nara still heard him nonetheless. Shikamaru only shrugged his shoulders, but forget Naruto was blind, but Naruto could hear a small shrink of clothing from his general direction.

"I guess you don't know either. What about you Shino?" Shino only shrugged his shoulders as well.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Twenty Minutes Later….<strong>_

The majority of the teams sensei's had already arrived, but Naruto's team was still there in the classroom. This time both Shino and Shikamaru were sleeping. Both of them were snoring lightly.

Naruto was writing dots on a piece of paper as he tried ignoring them. At least, that's what Ino thought.

"Naruto-san." Naruto looked in her general direction at the mention of his name.

"What are you drawing?" Naruto frowned as he felt the paper being snatched under his hands.

As far as he could tell, none of the others had made a move toward them, but he still liked having his privacy. Too many people thought they were simple dots, but to Naruto, they were words in a sense. He tried explaining braille to people before, but they didn't either understand or lost interested. Ten-ten was one of the few people who seemed interested about braille and its awesomeness.

"There're not just dots Ino-san. That's how I write." Naruto could smell ginger and honey, and assumed Ino had walked closer. She placed the paper back on his table and signed.

"This doesn't make sense Naruto."

"I know."

* * *

><p><strong>Ten Minutes Later…<strong>

It was well after noon, before Naruto had decided to wake up both Kiba and Shikamaru. Only Team 7 and Team 10 were left in the room. Naruto's adopted mother Kurenai had picked up Team 8 a few minutes ago.

She made sure Naruto was still taking his meds, and even threatened to get rid of his books, if he didn't take them. He was pulled out of his thoughts, as the door slid open.

"Team 10. Let's go."

The voice was familiar but Naruto couldn't place it. The voice had a serious gruff kind of tone. Naruto was still using the helpless blind kid act, and had asked Ino to help him out of the classroom. Granted he could have walked out on his own, but he had his own reasons.

The team was led to a barbecue restaurant as Naruto soon found out. Ino guided him like he was five years old, and he felt like slapping her. Or at least telling her that he could found the seat himself. Still being led by a female wasn't so bad.

"This is the Yakiniku Q restaurant. They serve lots of beef and meats here, so it's a popular choice for people who want to toughen themselves up. Not to mention the food's good."

The room was quiet, but it wasn't an awkward silence. The man cleared his throat. "My name is Asuma. My father is the third Hokage and I like this restaurant and helping others. I dislike arrogant people and people who don't try their best. Your turn pineapple."

Silence. Naruto could tell Shikamaru didn't want to speak, if his large sign was the case.

"My name's Shikamaru Nara. I like cloud watching and sleeping. I dislike noisy people. There. Happy now? Your turn Ino," Naruto assumed he was speaking to their sensei. Ino on the other hand, seemed elated to talk about herself.

"My name is Ino Yamanaka. I love Sasuke-kun and want to marry him and I like flowers. I hate anti-Sasuke fans. Your turn Naruto."

Even though he was blind, he could feel that everyone was staring at him. He lowered his head and shuffled a bit, before speaking. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like my mother, aunt, and finding new books to read. I don't really dislike anything right now."

The stares lessened but he felt that someone was still looking at him. He didn't have to be blind to know that. The team sat in silence as they all ordered their food. Of course, one of his team members was nice enough to list off some dishes, so he could figure out what he wanted to eat.

Nobody asked each other any questions, but Naruto didn't mind the silence. In fact, he welcomed it. At least nobody was asking him any stupid or awkward questions.

"Tomorrow, we'll be meeting at Training ground 20 at 9:30 A.M. Don't be late." Asuma said between bites. He handed each student a scroll, before flagging down the waiter for the bill. Paying it, he walked his soon-to-be students to the entrance.

"Alright, everyone. I'll see you tomorrow. Remember to do your best!" With that, Asuma disappeared in smoke.

The three teens said their own good byes before going their own paths. Asuma watched them for a few more minutes before heading to the Hokage tower.

* * *

><p><strong>Five minutes Later…<strong>

It didn't come as a shock when he reached the tower, to find he was the only one there. The meeting wasn't for another ten minutes, but Asuma liked getting things over with, and not dragging them out.

The only other person in the room was his father, but he didn't really feel like speaking to him. Still, something was bothering him.

"Hey old man." The third looked up from his book.

"Why did you allow Naruto to graduate? He's blind in both eyes, so wouldn't he be only placing himself and others at risk on the field?" The third frowned as Asuma spoke.

"I'm disappointed in you Asuma. Of all people Asuma, I expected you to see through the boy's charade. The boy's blind Asuma, not stupid. He can handle himself. Granted he's only a genin, and not some high power jonin, but he's a smart boy nonetheless."

By then most of the jonin had arrived, as father and son were done talking. Kurenai arrived a few minutes after everyone else, looking frustrated. Asuma didn't dare ask her why she was so upset. She looked as though she needed some personal space at the moment. The meeting finally began when Kakashi arrived ten minutes later, with his head stuck in his favorite book.

The meeting was the same as always. Boring. Boring. And guess what? Utterly boring. The moment the meeting was adjourned Asuma disappeared. It was a long day, and he just wanted to have some quiet.

All the jonins were going to have to report to the Hokage tomorrow on whether or not their team passed their challenge. Asuma had hoped his team would pass, but he wasn't holding his breath. He had a bimbo, a slacker, and a blind kid for Kami's sake! The team just spelled "helpless."

That night he hoped for the best for tomorrow's test. Oh how he was going to regret that.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next Day-Morning…<strong>_

Asuma had arrived to the training ground at exactly 9:00 A.M., but to his surprise, his students weren't there. They were coming behind him, with Naruto holding a big bowl of ramen in his hands. Shikamaru held a tray in both hands with a frown on his face, as Ino waved at him. He waved back with a look of confusion on his face.

His students stopped within three feet of him, before Naruto stepped forward with the bowl of ramen.

"Asuma-sensei, we would like to thank you for the meal from yesterday. Please accept our gifts!" Asuma narrowed his eyes as all three of them bowed, while handing him the food.

"Thanks for the food guys, but we should get started with the test."

"Please sensei. Just one bite." Ino pleaded. Asuma looked at the kids, and they reminded him of innocent sweet angels-

"You drugged the food, didn't you?" Ino shrugged her shoulders.

"It was worth a try." Naruto and Shikamaru gave a small smile at that. Asuma chuckled softly as he placed the food on the ground.

Brushing off imaginary dirt off his pants, he took a deep breath. He explained the rules and his expectations to the others, and made everything clear. If they couldn't get his pack of cigarettes, then they would be sent back to the academy. Simple as that. At first, they had appeared confused but as he continued speaking, they all had a look of determination.

He was beginning to regret his words from last night.

* * *

><p><strong>Twenty Minutes Later…<strong>

They had a hundred minutes left, but Asuma suspected that they wouldn't need the whole two hours. So far, they had genuinely surprised him. Instead of doing a full on charge as he had expected, they had taken a more silent route.

Naruto hid himself in the trees, while Shikamaru was above him silently waiting. Ino had hid in a bush across from him, but since he was an experienced jonin, he knew where they were. For genin they were doing okay, but they still had a lot to learn.

Disappearing in a cloud of smoke, Naruto froze as he felt a breeze behind him. Surprised he threw a kunai in the general direction, before he felt himself colliding with something hard.

* * *

><p><strong>With Ino…<strong>

Ino had watched Asuma disappear in smoke, but had heard a shout before watching Naruto fly straight into Shikamaru. Her eyes widened as she felt her hair sticking up. She joined the boys as her body was sent in the groaning mess of limbs. Naruto's butt had landed in Shikamaru's face as his face was in close proximity to Ino's legs.

Asuma shook his head, as he saw their awkward position. "Children, we don't have time for those kind of activities." That got a reaction from all of them. Naruto tossed two shuriken at him, as Ino ran towards him. Asuma easily blocked the shuriken, as he used his arm to grab Ino's fist.

He tossed Ino back a few feet, before his attention turned to the boys. Naruto and Shikamaru had untangled themselves before locking eyes with him.

For once, Naruto stared at Asuma with his eyes open. To say the least, it unnerved Asuma. Usually, Naruto held his head down, or didn't stare directly at him. The only time he probably saw Naruto's eyes was in a picture he had taken with Kurenai when she first adopted him. Other then that, Naruto wore some kind of shades.

Shikamaru charged at Asuma, as Naruto ran over to help Ino off the ground. Shikamaru let out a surprised yelp as his foot was caught in a trap. Naruto shot a kunai out of his sleeve, cutting him down as he charged Asuma head-on engaging in a taijutsu fight.

Asuma was caught off guard at Naruto's skill as a taijutsu fighter. He forced Asuma back into the shadows before he realized his mind felt weird. His eyes widened as he realized that he was caught in a genjutsu. Quickly canceling it, he felt his body stiffen. A kunai was held to his throat as he watched Ino tiredly walk over to his pocket. Tossing the pack to Naruto, she laid down on the grass breathing heavily.

Shikamaru stood in the shadows, holding his hands in a familiar symbol. "Shadow Possession jutsu complete. How'd we do Asuma-sensei?" Asuma smirked as he popped into smoke. All of three teen's eyes widened as Asuma walked out of the forest, clapping his hands.

"Well done, everyone. Nice work on that genjutsu Ino, and nice taijutsu Naruto. Shikamaru we need to work on your reflexes more. Still, that was a nice plan you came up with."

"Does this mean we pass sensei?" Ino looked at Asuma with big eyes as the boys stumbled over to them. Asuma rubbed his chin thinking out loud.

"I don't know you'd guys would have to work hard. Do you think you guys can take that?" They nodded.

"Well if you think you can, then I guess it's settled. You all…pass!"

A chorus of shouts was heard throughout the training ground, scaring all the birds in the area. To celebrate their success, Asuma took them to the Yakiniku Q on their request.

_Maybe they aren't so bad after all._ He thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Twenty Minutes Later…<strong>

"Team 1?"

"Failed."

"Team 2?"

"Failed."

"Team 3?"

"Failed."

"Team 4?"

"Failed."

"Team 5?"

"Failed."

"Team 6?"

"Failed."

"Team 7?"

"Passed."

Silence ranged through the room. Kakashi lifted his head, repeating his answer before looking at his Icha Icha book again. The masked man giggled for a few seconds, before remembering where he was.

"Team 8?"

"Passed."

"Moving on, Team 9 is still rotation, so we'll continue to Team 10."

"Team 10?"

"Passed."

Silence…

"Moving on then. The teams that passed; I wish you good luck with your new students. I expect daily reports on their progress. Everyone is dismissed."

"Yes sir!"

* * *

><p><strong>End Chapter of Striking Steel. Thank you for all your patience. Thank you for all the favorites, alerts, and reviews! Review if you have the time. Ja né!<strong>

**Edit:8.9.14**


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own Naruto. I wish I did. Oh well.**

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><p><em><strong>"You're skills have improved so much Naruto. I want you to meet someone tomorrow. You'll like him just as much as me." She grabbed Naruto's face and rubbed his cheeks with the pads of her thumbs.<strong>_

_**"Please be on your best behavior. I need you to act like the little obedient boy you can be. Now stand still and smile for the camera."**_

_**I have...to get...out of here...now.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Next Morning…<strong>

Asuma stared at the group before him, shaking his head. How could he have thought they were ready to be a team? A real genin ninja team. Ino was poking Shikamaru with a stick, while said boy was sleeping against another tree. Naruto was sleeping against a tree as well, but at least he was not snoring like his teammate. Ino gave up on Shikamaru and began kicking Naruto's shoes.

Naruto opened a tired eye at his female teammate as she hauled him off the ground. Ino looked like she was the only one of the three ready to do some real work. It took Asuma another twenty minutes before all of them were ready for training. He would have to change that later.

"For today I'm going to be accessing your abilities more closely. Yesterday was just a test. Today is the real deal. Let's get started."

Silence…

"What do you want us to do sensei?" Ino had her hands on hips giving Asuma a puzzled look. Asuma thought for another minute, and started rubbing his beard.

"Run five laps around Konoha first. Then we'll see if we have any time left afterwards." Naruto frowned as he adjusted his shirt.

"Sensei it won't take us too long to run five laps. Have faith in us."

* * *

><p><strong>Forty Minutes Later…<strong>

Asuma smirked as he lit another cigarette. Naruto was leaning against a tree panting slightly while his other two teammates were flat out on the floor panting for air. Out of the three of them, Naruto had the best stamina and endurance, while Ino had the worst overall. Shikamaru was borderline with Ino but he beat her by a hair. Literally. Overall, they all have to things to practice and work on. Their stamina would have to get better if they wanted to survive their first year as shinobi.

Asuma decided to give the group a few minutes to catch their breath before he had them begin sparring with each other. It was obvious Naruto was the strongest one out of them, while Shikamaru was…Shikamaru.

"You didn't even try Shikamaru! You can't give up in the middle of a fight!" Shikamaru was laid on the forest floor staring at the clouds, ignoring his sensei full force.

Ino was too tired to even get off the floor. Asuma shook his head in disappointment. He gave them a lecture on the real world and ninjas, and how they should take their training more seriously, but the only thing he got were stares.

"What do you want us to do about that?" Asked Ino. Asuma smirked at her words.

"I'm glad you asked."

* * *

><p><strong>Ten Minutes Later…<strong>

"No way."

His students stared him down as he held the weights out. Shikamaru flat out refused to touch his, while Naruto held his as if they were going to bite his fingers off or something. Ino actually hid behind Naruto, and refused to even look at her weights.

"Don't worry. We are going to start off small, and then work our way up. For a while, we are going to start at ten pounds."

"Ten?" Asuma sweat dropped.

"You'll be fine Ino. Look at the boys. There're getting into it."

"No! I refuse."

* * *

><p><strong>Three Hours Later…<strong>

Ino grumbled and moaned under her breath as she dragged her sore body home. Asuma-sensei let them go home two hours early since the Hokage had decided to send him on a minor mission at the last minute. Needless to say, she was not happy. Before leaving he told them, they would be using the weights everyday for training.

"Once you get used to ten pounds, we'll move up to fifteen pounds." The man kept rubbing his beard at the sound of his own words.

Ino however, hated it. At least she could finally get some much needed rest. Her body was probably broken in every place. She did very well in the academy, but she guessed that did not count for much. At least she could walk on her own.

Naruto had to carry Shikamaru back to his house. Ino paused for a minute. _Naruto._ The boy was blind in both eyes, but he proved to be stronger then both of his teammates. _I guess you cannot judge a book by its cover._ She thought.

"Ino-san!"

Tiredly turning her head, Ino glared at the newcomer. Her eyes widened in recognition as Naruto walked beside her side. His sunny blonde hair was covered by a black bandana, as she folded her arms across her chest. Naruto gave her a small smile as he handed her a bag.

"You left your bag at the training grounds, so I thought I would return it to you." Naruto placed his hands in his pockets as Ino thanked him. The two continued walking through the crowds in silence, enjoying the peace and quiet.

"Naruto-kun!" A girl around their age with two buns appeared by Naruto's side, grabbing onto his arm. Naruto frowned as the girl tightened her grip on his arm, upon seeing Ino. The girl had steel colored eyes and wore her forehead protector tied under her bangs.

The girl's pink blouse was completed with dark green pants. She was carrying two scrolls in her hands as Naruto started scratching the back of his head. Ino began noticing that every time Naruto scratched the back of his head, he was nervous.

"I'm sorry Tenten. I forgot about our training for today. Why don't I make it up to you tonight?" The now identified Tenten blushed a deep crimson at Naruto's words. Ino was not in better shape. _Is he asking her out on a date?_

Tenten shook her head, grabbing Naruto by the ear. He gave a startled cry as she began dragging him away.

"Don't think you're going to be able to sweet talk me mister. You made me a promise, and you're going to honor it one way or another."

"Ow! Ow! All right, all right. Let go of my ear that hurts. I'll see you later Ino-san." Naruto gave his teammate a quick wave, before trying to pry Tenten's fingers away from his ear.

Despite herself, Ino giggled quietly to herself. She began walking home again, laughing when she had a not so manly shout camefrom the other direction. Maybe today was not so bad.

* * *

><p><strong>With Tenten and Naruto… <strong>

"Who was that girl you were with?" Tenten was still dragging Naruto back to the training grounds, much to the blond boy's discomfort. People (mainly other males) gave him pity glances and looks, but they were lost on the two teens.

"She's my teammate Tenten-chan. Let go of my ear." Tenten did not get the chance to respond, when another voice entered their conversion.

"I knew you two were lovebirds." A giggle was heard, as an arm was wrapped around Tenten's shoulders.

Anko was back in her regular clothes, and looked happier than Tsunade with two bottles of saké. Her tan trench coat was tied around her waist as she pinched Tenten's cheeks. Annoyed, Tenten dropped Naruto on the ground, swatting Anko's hands away. By the time Naruto had his bearings together, Tenten and Anko had walked in a nearby restaurant.

"We can eat first, and then I'll kick your butt in training." Tenten dragged Naruto into the restaurant with a huff.

* * *

><p><strong>Ten Minutes Later…<strong>

Anko was too busy telling the teens about her recent mission with Naruto's mother Kurenai to notice Naruto snoring lightly on Tenten's shoulder. One thing was for sure. Tenten was not pleased. She had a good mind to slap Naruto upside his head for falling asleep in the middle of their lunch.

"Isn't he adorable like that?" Anko cooed softly. Tenten rested her hand on Naruto's soft downy hair, muttering to herself. _Maybe I'll let him side just this once._ She thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Later that Day…<strong>

In the end of the day, Tenten decided to let Naruto take a brief nap. Granted she rudely woke him up twenty minutes later, when she tossed his body in a river. His clothes weren't drenched, but were slightly soaked. Angered, Naruto challenged the smirking Tenten to a battle before losing miserably.

"My body is sore from previous training. That's why I lost. My awesome skills weren't at their best."

"Keep thinking that Naruto-kun. Dream on, if you think you can beat me."

…

"I'd best get you home. Your mother will be worried sick about you, if we don't hurry."

"We wouldn't have to hurry if you hadn't been so much of a hurry to fight me and my supreme awesomeness!"

* * *

><p><strong>At the same Time...With Kurenai and Anko...<strong>

"Relax Kurenai. Tenten's with Naruto. I'm sure they're not doing any _adult_ activities right now. They are only thirteen. Well Tenten's thirteen almost fourteen. I remember us at their age." Kurenai raised an eyebrow.

"What were we like at that age?"

"Young, wild, and free."

"I don't remember that."

"You were probably drunk."

"I hardly doubt that. Where are they?"

…..

"Kaa-san! Help me."

Kurenai didn't even get a chance to prepare herself before someone rammed into her body. Kurenai gasped for air as Naruto held on to her for dear life. Anko was the only one laughing with pure amusement.

"You little …ramen brat." Tenten ran storming into the room grabbing Naruto by his collar. Frightened, Naruto kicked Tenten in the stomach, forcing her to buckle. After a few minutes of wrestling, Naruto ended on top of Tenten with his arms on either side of her face. Anko squealed as she grabbed the nearest camera.

For the next few weeks, Kurenai would be wondering why her son and his girl who was just his friend, and _not_ his romantic other, was chasing Anko around Konoha whenever they saw each other. Kurenai didn't see the big deal, weren't Tenten and Naruto dating?

"No. No. No. Oh Kami no!" Naruto signed again.

"I think she gets the point Tenten."

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts. Ja né!<strong>

**Edit:8.9.14**


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